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Summer slump!

Well, it's official, after nearly two weeks of 45 degrees every day and over 80% humidity, I have completely abandoned my TW dragon. I can barely drag myself away from the freezer and the icecream tub let alone actually pick up my crossy with my sticky sweaty hands and perspire all over it! This summer has completely dashed all my plans of having this piece finished in the next couple of months. At this stage, I can't see myself picking it up again until september!! It's so sad, I see it sitting there, but really, I just can't bring myself to even pick it up- I'm too busy lying in front of the fan and moaning! What ever am I to do??
(I need a sweaty summer smiley to put here!)

Gosh Nancy, 22 sounds dreamy! Yep, Malta is well known for its steamy summers, especially the humidity- it's such a small island with water on all sides (duh!) so we're constantly surrounded by this summer haze that blends the sea completely into the sky. Luckily, you're never too far from the water and a refreshing dip. I just wish my crossy could benefit from the cool water!

Sounds like summer in Atlanta - we've had temps in the 90's, and the humidity and smog have been very bad, which is not as common in June as it is in July & August. But as we are in a drought, everything's a bit off this year. And the past couple of weeks, we've had evening thunder storms; my head has become a barometer in the past few years, so I've had just thumping headaches each evening, making concentration on stitching a bit more than I can handle. I worked on TW's Fantasy Triptych last week, and barely got 50 stitches in all week. This week, I've been working on a nice monochromatic sampler, though I am doing it in Assissi, so am still having to think about it, but not nearly as much as if it were a TW or SQ!

I hate to wish away time, but I am ready for September! I love heat, but my tolerance for humidity is getting less and less each year - need to get back out west where I belong! In the meantime, lotsa pink lemonade

Being a little baffled by the whole celcius vs farenheit thing,I found a website which converts one to the other and found that the temperature here today is 113F!!! Wow, it sounds so much more impressive when put like that than in celcius!! It sounds more like something I would set my oven to!

I know how you feel about wishing the time away, Rife. I absolutely loathe summer and always have. I grew up in the mountains where it was always cold and have very pale skin- I just don't tan! Can't! I just don't understand all those bodies roasting away in the midday sun, couldn't think of anything worse! Even though I live 2 min from the beach, I always wait until about 4pm before I go down for my swim. So much nicer.

Rest assured that you are making more progress than me, Rife- I haven't done 50 stitches in 3 weeks! By the way, what's assissi?

I don't have a textbook definition handy, but basically, it's when you stitch the background, and leave the design blank; a negative of the design, so to speak. I posted some progress pics, if you'd like to see:
This is a picture of the finished design, Fire Flower by Needlemania:
http://tinyurl.com/2jg8b2
And this is start of the first half of my project, where I am doing the design in assissi:
http://tinyurl.com/3bz8vj
When I get this done, I will do the design again right next to this, though will do it in regular XS as it was originally designed, so I will have a positive and negative image on the same piece of fabric. I personally think it's going to be really cool when I get it done, and I'm using Vikki Clayton silk, which I just love; threading my needle is my favorite part, so I can run those two threads between my fingers while I get them straight!

Wow, Rife, I must say I'm really impressed, really really impressed. Although I have seen (basic) examples of this technique before I didn't remember the name and I've certainly never seen a positive and negative expression of the same pattern in cross stitch- it's positively Warhol! I think the design is stunning (really, fantastic colours and shading) and then to come up with your own unique interpretation of it I think is really a cut above- taking craft to the level of art, if you will. I must wonder what silks bring to a design like this one though, although I suppose once you're a silk fan, you don't really need an excuse! I haven't yet found a pattern I adore that screams "silk!" at me, but when I do I shan't fail to answer the call! Anyway, suffice to say I think you're onto something very cool indeed, and that before you're even aware of it you may be the founder of a whole new trend!

Do you feel encouraged? When I pay compliments I like to make them real.

And the silks are definitely a new addiction for me; I've amassed quite a collection in the last year, but mostly I just fondle them. It makes me sad to think some will one day be behind glass, where I can't touch them. But that's what the stash is for, I guess

And the silks are definitely a new addiction for me; I've amassed quite a collection in the last year, but mostly I just fondle them. It makes me sad to think some will one day be behind glass, where I can't touch them....

Assissi - Wow that really is beautiful! I have done something similar, but never thought to use the hand dyed fabric. I keep looking for ways to incorporate it, and the over dyed threads I have. This is too cool!